Grapevines grow suckers that consume energy otherwise available for producing fruit, and removing these suckers makes the grapevine healthier and more productive. Sucker removal has required walking along the grapevine rows, bending to reach the base of the vines, and manually pruning the suckers--a laborious and costly task.
Many people have tried to devise a labor saving machine that would mechanically remove suckers without damaging the main trunk of the grapevine, but this is a difficult problem because the suckers are tough and tenacious. Also, sucker removal should be selective so a sucker can be left to grow and eventually replace a vine that is damaged, diseased, or deformed.
I have found a solution to these problems in a grapevine suckering tool that applies the right amount of force in the right way to remove suckers quickly and efficiently under full control of an operator without harming the vines. My tool mounts on a vineyard tractor where it is powered and controlled by tractor hydraulics and allows a single person to sucker grapevines faster than several manual workers.